He drifted through a shapeless, empty void. Above him floated giant beings, beings he couldn’t even imagine or try to uand. However, he could tell they were ughing. Dice rolled above him. At least he assumed they were dice. He couldn’t make them out, yet a primordial part of him khey were the dice of d fate. Finally, the dice stopped, and he woke up.

  Then a searing pain shot through his hand as if he was being branded. He tried to move his hand away, only to find that no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t escape the pain. So he then tried to put his other hand over it, only to pull it away as it felt as if his flesh was being burnt. Still, he held in his pain, not wanting to wake the other people in the inn. Then, as suddenly as it came, the burning stopped and a booming voice repced it.

  It said, “Isidore, e to Sidith at ond take your pce with the heroes.”

  At first, he didn’t believe it. After all, why would the Auspices the gods themselves choose him? This had to be real, though he knew from the pain that he couldn’t be dreaming. So as he recovered from the burning and the headache brought on by the voice, he tumbled around the room and lit a dle. As his eyes adjusted, he first checked the door and the windows and saw they were both still locked, then his eyes swept over the room to make sure that nobody was inside, which he firmed, to great relief. Then his curious eyes shifted down to his right hand.

  He examihe flesh of his hand, only to see that on the back of his hand there was a symbol. It was of a triangle above a cross. The symbol of the Seventh Auspice, the Auspice of Nothing. It could only meahing, that the gods had chosen him as one of the heroes. The adventurer gave a quick prayer before pag his things. He wasn’t a devout person, but anybody would at least give one prayer after being chosen as a divine hero. So as he finished pag, he then slid on his leather armor and grabbed his curved sword he got during his first journey in the westers before leaving the small inn.

  The inn itself was a nid small pot the worst he’d ever stayed at in his travels, but also not the best. As he left, he paid again for his room and the food he had eaten st night and thahe innkeeper for the service. Though he kept the bottle of fine wine he had swiped st night. The air was a familiar feeling and smell which had apanied Isidore’s journeys up to this point. Although he hadn’t ever expected to be heading out on such a moal journey when he first left his home as a boy. With a sigh, he checked his map and, to his annoyance; he saw that the path to Sidith was a long ohen his eyes lit up as he thought he found a shortcut. It would be through a dech of woods that would reduce his journey by a few days. There weren’t any trails through it, but he assumed he could make it through just fine.

  After a few hours, Isidore realized that he, in fact, couldn’t make it through just fine, as he had gotten hopelessly lost in the woods. He realized this after he saw the same tree about five times and then tried to brute force his way out by just heading in a straight line, only to see the same tree again. Out of frustratiohrew his hands up and slumped down by a log to think. He knew if he kept trying the same thing over and over, he would get nowhere. Then he heard faint ughter eg from the woods. Many people in this situation would not go hat noise sihere were very few good things that could e from it. Isidore, however, just wao find a way out of the woods already, so he went towards the noise.

  As he did, the sound of birds and other animals dimmed, and the volume of the ughter amplified. It sounded alien and almost mog, but he pressed on, uerred. Then finally he came to the source. It was an old tree with strangely shaped branches and an alien aura around it. Then the ughter dominated Isidore’s mind as he could barely hold on to his own thoughts as an icy chill fell over him. Then he fell to his knees, cradling his head. A fn malevolent presence was trying to enter his mind, and he knew he couldn’t let it. Thinking fast, he grabbed the bottle of wine from his bag and a cup and poured the wine. He thehe cup over his head as an , along with some bread he still had.

  The presereated from his mind and the sounds of the forest returned, although not before he heard a soft chuckle from the being. Then, as if it was giving him a reward, he uood the path through the forest. He left the wine and cup by the tree before speeding away from the area. As he felt the st traces of the being leave his mind, Isidore thought about what he knew about magical beings. He k couldn’t be something average sihey couldn’t have that strong of an effe him and it couldn’t be a regur monster si had specifically accepted the . Then it hit him. It was one of the Old Gods. A sense of dread washed over him.

  That shouldn’t have been able to happen. The Auspices were supposed to keep them at bay. The theories swirled in his mind. What if the current heroes were f to deal with these Old Gods? It almost made him resider his jouro Sidith. After all, if the Prophet herself couldn’t defeat them, what hope did he have? Theionalized it must have just been some traces of the Old Gods, after all the Auspices could never fail in their mission. That put him at ease as he finally exited the forest and got ba paved roads.

  He further rexed as he kept walking along the road and the forest disappeared and farmnd took its pce. He rested for the night only to have more strange dreams. This time it was a group of inprehensible beings huddled together, scheming. Then again, he woke up, and it was the m. Again another dream the night and this time he couldn’t even uand what was going on. Finally, the third night, he had no dreams at all. Which was good since he khat was the day he would arrive in Sidith. Although he noticed he would sometimes feel like he was being watched, even when nobody was around.

  The great city of Sidith rose high, with its grand marble buildings housing the priests of the Oemple. The grand spirals of the city, like lighthouses, to tell humanity their efforts and lives are not without purpose. A city of faith led by the a Prophet whht the light of the Auspices to humanity. It was a city that Isidore didn’t stay in for long. Something about it always seemed wrong, not to mention the guards were also on the lookout for any shady activity and always seemed to hate wanderers. However, his duty led him to the city, so he had to go in.

  However, he got lost again. Thankfully, no malevolent Old Gods would mess with him ihe city, so instead he looked around, trying to orient himself. He was in a pza with fn merts all around him, selliic goods from across the world. Then he saw a nearby guard, and he walked up to her to ask for dires.

  “Excuse me, how do I get to the Oemple?” He asked.

  She gave him the dires and then asked. “Mind if I ask why do you want to go there?”

  He wa a little, so he said. “The Auspices e to be part of the heroes.”

  Her brown eyes filled with amusement, and she ughed. “Oh, I’m sure they have you and the other dozen people who’ve e in the past few days.”

  Slightly offended, he lifted his hand to show the sigil burned into his skin, but she just brushed it off, saying. “I’ve seen more ving sigils. At least it’s creative, though nobody’s e up with one like that before.” With that, she walked off and got back to her job.

  Mildly annoyed, he went on to the Temple iy's heart. Inside, he saw a crowd of people gathered who were cheering the heroes who were standing in the middle of the room. In front of them was a raised ptform where the One Prophet Yazata was giving a speech to them. For a sed, Isidore stopped and ted the heroes. He ted five, which couldn’t be right. There were always five heroes, but this time with him there were six? He had to figure out what was going on, so he loudly annouhat he was here to join the heroes. A few people around him ughed, assuming he was another fake.

  That was until, just to prove him wrong, a priest stepped forward and grabbed his arm. The priest ted a spell under his breath and then, after a few seds, looked at Isidore in fusiohen hurried over to the raised ptform and whispered something in Yazata’s ears, which made her eyes go wide for a sed before posing herself. She then called for Isidore to step forward, which he did. The Prophet ted a spell whigulfed his body. After a sed, it ended and Yazata announced.

  “A Sixth Hero has arrived.”

  This sent waves through the crowd, with him pig out a few versations like. “A Sixth Hero?”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Have any of the other parties had a sixth hero?”

  Yazata silehe chatter by again calling for Isidore to take his pce at the side of the rest of the heroes. Which he did in a heartbeat. Yazata then finished where she had left off.

  “The Auspices have gathered you in order to deal with a great threat to all humanity. A Demon King has arisen Belya’al. He has gathered a great army and threatens to wipe out humanity and the Auspices to recim their so-called divinity. Heroes defeating this warlord is your mission.”

  A blonde woman around Isidore’s age kneeled. “My dy, we will fulfill our duties as the Auspices have given them.”

  Yazata smiled, although Isidore thought there was something uneasy about it. “Then go forth heroes aore order to the world.”

  With that, she stepped down and disappeared bato the Temple. Immediately, people swarmed around the group of six, trying to get something out of them. In sharp trast to her politeness when dealing with Yazata, the blonde woman shoved people out of the way as her daggers gleamed on her hip. o her, another man dressed in inquisitor robes had no trouble getting through the croeople seemed to be afraid to be near him. Like the blonde woman, a Half-Beast woman dressed in the armor of a knight of Sidith was shoving people aside although slightly nicer. Another young man walked alongside them with the bottom half of his face obscured by a mask. He paid no attention to the crowd of people as he made his way through. A man with elongated hands a walked alongside them and anybody who touched him quickly withdrew their hands and Isidore saw their hands had frost on them. Finally, Isidore was the subjeuch discussion from the crowd, only sileng when the blonde women gave them a harsh look.

  Eventually, the heroes made their way outside and thankfully avoided the rest of the people crowding to get a loet close to the heroes. They then gathered in a circle to discuss and naturally the blonde women, seeming to the leader, bluntly said.

  “I didn’t think we’d get a sixth member.”

  Isidore quickly responded. “And I didn’t expect to be the sixth member.”

  She then sighed and said. “Well, regardless, we might as well introduce ourselves since we haven’t had the ce yet. I’ll go first. I’m Aurea chosen of Eternity. Keep up with me and we won’t have any issues.”

  Everybody looked shocked to hear her name and the half-beast oke first. “Aurea Reyahe sed princess and bandit queen?” At ohings started clig in Isidore’s mind. Years ago, the sed princess of the Kingdom of Reyanes ran away and became the leader of a group of bandits. These bandits robbed nobles and gave their gold and silver to the peasants.

  Aurea scoffed. “I’m not part of that family anymore, and none of you should ever bring it up again.” Her tone was deadly serious and nobody was going to test her on it sihey didn’t want to be on the receiving end of her daggers.

  The inquisitor we. “I suppose I am . I am Heraculitus Kaustos, former Inquisitor of Sidith. Chosen of Life. Remember to always follow the path of the Auspices.”

  At this, the masked man chuckled a little, saying. “I’m sure all those people you’ve burnt to a crisp in your service must be ughing at you being the Chosen of Life.”

  Heraculitus scowled at the masked man, saying. “Of course, somebody like you wouldn’t uand the role of healing that fire pys.”

  The two of them seemed like they were about to e to blows and so the half-beast women stepped forward to give a brief introdu. “I am Euthalia, knight of Sidith. Chosen of Glory. Remember that we are the hands of the Auspices. Do not disappoint them.”

  “No st name?” Aurea asked curiously.

  A sad look passed over Euthalia’s fad her ears drooped slightly before she reposed herself. “No, I do not have one.”

  Aurea simply nodded, and the masked man began his introdu. “Ildefonso Malgold. Chosen of Fate.”

  At this, the man with the elongated hands a who Isidore now realized was a demon spoke. He spoke in a slow, measured tone. “Malgold?”

  Even though they couldn’t see his face, Ildefonso s the name before saying. “I’m not a pdog of my father and his corporation.” Again, a deadly serious tone came from him and nobody wao probe deeper.

  Finally, the demon spoke again in a slow monotone voice. “Frankly, it’s too warm out here, but regardless, I’m Tempano. Chosen of Beauty.”

  This time, it was Isidore who asked a question. “Five me for asking, but are you a demon?”

  Tempa out a soft ugh. “Don’t worry, I hold no loyalty towards the so-called Demon King or his armies, no matter what he tries. Why would I when my heritage has cursed me?” After the st sentence, he let out a bitter ugh.

  The rest of the party could feel the siy in his words, so let go or at least rexed their suspi. Then they all turo Isidore, wanting to hear from the sixth hero.

  With a practiced disarming smile, he said. “I’m Isidore of the West. Chosen of…Nothing? I was a wanderer before the Auspice e.” His smile faltered at the end, like his words, when he realized that what he said sounded absurd.

  Heraculitus raised an eyebrow. “The Auspice of Nothing has never chosen a hero before.”

  “Maybe the Auspices deemed this threat to be a bigger threat than the past.” Aurea said as if she was defending him.

  “Sure, the Demon King has uhe demons, but is he really a bigger threat than the past six overlords?” Euthalia asked skeptically.

  “I doubt any of us are fit to question the gods worshipped by all.” Tempano said.

  Ildefonso shook his head. “Whatever it is, I doubt we’ll figure out their reasoning, so let’s just hurry aarted on our mission.”

  “Yes, let's get started.” Isidore said, wanting to end the discussion. Aurea started walking and a quice was enough to get everybody else following her.

  Despite being gd for her ending the discussion, Isidore had to ask. “Where are we going?”

  To which Aurea responded. “We’re heading bay people for a few days to prepare for the journey.”

  Jokingly, Isidore said. “I hope you’re not pnning on using us to rob some nobles.”

  To which she gred at him, a his hands up in mock surrender. So ehe first day of Isidore’s time with the heroes as the group rested in an inn for the night to prepare for their journey into the wildero Aurea’s bandits.